Laura at 91 years of age I will be impressed if many of us would have the energy to do either! I have never got the whole what an easy life the queen has considering the average person is complaining about the retirement age increasing to 68!
There was a very good interview with Sir Keir Starmer QC (Labours Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the EU0 on Andrew Marr this morning that would be of interest to all if you can get to see/read it. On the two main topics he was interviewed on, when challenged on the PM's EU Exit mandate he admitted there was little difference between the Conservatives and Labours approach as all the 'half measures soft Brexit' options had been ruled out by the EU (no single market access, no free movement of people etc.), the bill at the end regarding legislation would make all EU legislation UK legislation (if it wasn't already) so there would be no lost rights, the only real difference would be the deals at the and as Labour had different ideas of what sort of deals would be in place post exit.
On the Tower Block fire Andrew Marr presented and read from a series of recommendations from a report presented to the Government in 2000. Keir Starmer admitted and agreed that on that occasion and others when Labour were last in power and since under the LibDem/Con Gov't and David Cameron's Gov't when recommendations had been made, they had not been acted on - therefore ALL parties were responsible and accountable for the deaths and injuries.
I must admit he came across much better and more sensibly in the discussion than many of the other politicians of all the other parties - if he is in charge of Labour come the next election (which won't happen until about a year after the EU Exit) I think they will win it, if he had been in charge now I think they would have won it as well.
re the fire thing - was that the recommendations after the Camberwell fire?
Because (a) the situations were very different in terms of both the design of the structure and the findings in terms of how the existing regulations had not been complied with, (b) blame was allocated in the Camberwell fire as negligence, pretty much - the main fault was that the existing regs were breached, and the safety checks didn't pick that up, not that the regs themselves were inadequate and (c) it's not yet been shown that those 2000 recommendations, had they been implemented, by the Tory and Tory/LibDem govts, whose responsibility it was, would have made any difference at Grenfell, seeing as we don't yet know exactly what went wrong in this latest case.
he bill at the end regarding legislation would make all EU legislation UK legislation (if it wasn't already) so there would be no lost right
Well, for the time being, until the govt set about rolling them back.
Plus, the rights IN LEGISLATION will continue ... but what about rights not conferred by legislation, but by other means such as treaties, EU Directives with direct effect (which particularly pertain to rights of residency), etc?
(c) it's not yet been shown that those 2000 recommendations, had they been implemented, by the Tory and Tory/LibDem govts, whose responsibility it was, would have made any difference at Grenfell, seeing as we don't yet know exactly what went wrong in this latest case.
MrsGrey, I would make the point as you omit it that Labour were in power from 1997 to 2010 so in fairness (although not shown as you say that the 2000 recommendations would of made any difference) a Labour government with the power to act until 2010 didn't act so to say Tories/LibDem failed to act is misleading as Labour didn't act in that period either so it's fair to say all political parties failed to act and are equally guilty of a failing the people?
On the same Andrew Marr Show Phillip Hammond claimed that the cladding that caused the fire to spread so rapidly is banned in the UK so either it was put up by the contractors illegally and the management organisation - set up by the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea - were negligent in allowing them to do so or it was attached in full knowledge of the management organisation and they are also criminally liable.
He also claimed that sprinklers may not have helped despite every fire safety expert who has been interviewed in the last few days saying that they would cos he's Chancellor of the Exchequer and obviously knows better. Both the inquest into the fire at Lakanal Tower in 2009 and the fire at Shirley Towers in 2010 recommended that sprinklers should be fitted to all old tower blocks. According to the Mirror out of 2925 council owned tower blocks only 18 have had sprinkler systems installed since then.
There have been claims that the lack of sprinklers was a result of the Tory austerity policies but many sources suggest that K&C council is sitting on a surplus of around £300m and recently spent around £25m pedestrianizing Exhibition Road so they're certainly not short of a bob or two.
I agree with regard Keir Starmer as he does seem to be a common sense politician and they are always my favourite. I think we would have to wait and see how he fares in the coming couple of years as he will likely be thrust forward within Labour and so we will get to see a more complete picture.
I am a little uncomfortable with the political fall out of the Grenfall tragedy as I think everyone needs wait until facts are known before casting blame. It may turn out that everyone's first conclusion is spot on but it could just as likely be way off the mark. I feel however that political gain should not motivate any side when such tragedy strikes. I don't necessarily imagine that were Labour in govt from 2010 that the tragedy would have been averted, These terrible things happen but fortunately very rarely and we learn from them hopefully.
Regarding brexit I just don't see how we can negotiate anything resembling the position were in prior to the referendum with all the benefits and opt outs and vetos.
The EU hold all the cards and Davies will be in a room and hopefully the EU negotiator will put it straight from the beginning and say to him, ok David, we know you have given yourself the biggest political problem that any nation has done in a long long while, you have nothing to offer us that we need, some we would like for sure, but not need, as lets be clear all business which goes to UK will naturally be inclined to look for sourcing within EU once you have gone anyhow which will bring a surge in closer existing EU co -operation. Your Financial services industry which contributes a large tax take we will be taking anyhow through natural migration and later legislation. Your military which you may have felt was your final bargaining chip is not what you thought as we have only one existential threat which is Russia, should this become a real issue you know you could never defend against them anyhow and so do they, were any conflict to come that far only the US could intervene, so lets not pretend you have that chip. So I ask you to stop spouting nonsense for your local press and get real, speak to us with respect and we will do the same to you. Otherwise you will become cut off between the EU and the US and look very isolated to everyone, you make nothing much and will pretty soon be a tax haven run by media moguls and suffering mass public unrest due to the cuts in public services as your economy begins to fall quickly.
If we are lucky they will allow us to re assess leaving, as in my view, otherwise I think we are pretty much finished for a generation or two. I have seen leave friends slowly give up on most arguments regarding any possible benefit, certainly none that remotely outweigh the risks.
laura, re your earlier comments - yes, I appear to be getting my 2000s and my 2009 fire/2010 recommendations mixed up. I was thinking of the Lakanal fire recommendations made in 2010, which are the ones where apparently the (Tory) govt committed to review section B (fire safety) of the building regs but hasn't. ;ok
imo, the constant cuts to the civil service have left too few people trying to do too much, so that stuff like this review gets pushed down to a lower priority.
My mistake, apparently the crown has decided to meet her there ;ok
I think the Crown has to be at the State Opening of Parliament regardless of HM actually wearing it. On the news it showed HM in a blue outfit and matching hat reading The Queens Speech.
Wanted: Brexiteers, either unemployed or with time on their hands, to pick fruit, otherwise we'll be paying twice as much for our strawberries at Wimbledon ;biggrin http://www.bbc.com/news/business-40354331
Comments
(Metaphorically, of course. ;wink )
On the Tower Block fire Andrew Marr presented and read from a series of recommendations from a report presented to the Government in 2000. Keir Starmer admitted and agreed that on that occasion and others when Labour were last in power and since under the LibDem/Con Gov't and David Cameron's Gov't when recommendations had been made, they had not been acted on - therefore ALL parties were responsible and accountable for the deaths and injuries.
I must admit he came across much better and more sensibly in the discussion than many of the other politicians of all the other parties - if he is in charge of Labour come the next election (which won't happen until about a year after the EU Exit) I think they will win it, if he had been in charge now I think they would have won it as well.
Because (a) the situations were very different in terms of both the design of the structure and the findings in terms of how the existing regulations had not been complied with, (b) blame was allocated in the Camberwell fire as negligence, pretty much - the main fault was that the existing regs were breached, and the safety checks didn't pick that up, not that the regs themselves were inadequate and (c) it's not yet been shown that those 2000 recommendations, had they been implemented, by the Tory and Tory/LibDem govts, whose responsibility it was, would have made any difference at Grenfell, seeing as we don't yet know exactly what went wrong in this latest case.
I will try to find a 'watch again' ;ok
Plus, the rights IN LEGISLATION will continue ... but what about rights not conferred by legislation, but by other means such as treaties, EU Directives with direct effect (which particularly pertain to rights of residency), etc?
MrsGrey,
I would make the point as you omit it that Labour were in power from 1997 to 2010 so in fairness (although not shown as you say that the 2000 recommendations would of made any difference) a Labour government with the power to act until 2010 didn't act so to say Tories/LibDem failed to act is misleading as Labour didn't act in that period either so it's fair to say all political parties failed to act and are equally guilty of a failing the people?
He also claimed that sprinklers may not have helped despite every fire safety expert who has been interviewed in the last few days saying that they would cos he's Chancellor of the Exchequer and obviously knows better. Both the inquest into the fire at Lakanal Tower in 2009 and the fire at Shirley Towers in 2010 recommended that sprinklers should be fitted to all old tower blocks. According to the Mirror out of 2925 council owned tower blocks only 18 have had sprinkler systems installed since then.
There have been claims that the lack of sprinklers was a result of the Tory austerity policies but many sources suggest that K&C council is sitting on a surplus of around £300m and recently spent around £25m pedestrianizing Exhibition Road so they're certainly not short of a bob or two.
I am a little uncomfortable with the political fall out of the Grenfall tragedy as I think everyone needs wait until facts are known before casting blame. It may turn out that everyone's first conclusion is spot on but it could just as likely be way off the mark. I feel however that political gain should not motivate any side when such tragedy strikes. I don't necessarily imagine that were Labour in govt from 2010 that the tragedy would have been averted, These terrible things happen but fortunately very rarely and we learn from them hopefully.
The EU hold all the cards and Davies will be in a room and hopefully the EU negotiator will put it straight from the beginning and say to him, ok David, we know you have given yourself the biggest political problem that any nation has done in a long long while, you have nothing to offer us that we need, some we would like for sure, but not need, as lets be clear all business which goes to UK will naturally be inclined to look for sourcing within EU once you have gone anyhow which will bring a surge in closer existing EU co -operation. Your Financial services industry which contributes a large tax take we will be taking anyhow through natural migration and later legislation. Your military which you may have felt was your final bargaining chip is not what you thought as we have only one existential threat which is Russia, should this become a real issue you know you could never defend against them anyhow and so do they, were any conflict to come that far only the US could intervene, so lets not pretend you have that chip. So I ask you to stop spouting nonsense for your local press and get real, speak to us with respect and we will do the same to you. Otherwise you will become cut off between the EU and the US and look very isolated to everyone, you make nothing much and will pretty soon be a tax haven run by media moguls and suffering mass public unrest due to the cuts in public services as your economy begins to fall quickly.
If we are lucky they will allow us to re assess leaving, as in my view, otherwise I think we are pretty much finished for a generation or two. I have seen leave friends slowly give up on most arguments regarding any possible benefit, certainly none that remotely outweigh the risks.
imo, the constant cuts to the civil service have left too few people trying to do too much, so that stuff like this review gets pushed down to a lower priority.
More police and press than protestors........
All I've managed is a bit miffed.
The Queen's Speech: MP tells Black Rod to 'get skates on'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40351816
https://uk.style.yahoo.com/queen-just-wore-hat-looks-lot-like-eu-flag-134056849.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-40354331
;pray